Italy may be starting tonight’s friendly against France with youngsters Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Shaarawy and Marco Verratti, but Arrigo Sacchi isn’t overly impressed.
Italy may be starting tonight’s friendly against France with youngsters Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Shaarawy and Marco Verratti, but Arrigo Sacchi isn’t overly impressed.
With Serie A clubs struggling financially, more youngsters are getting their chance at the top level.
However, Sacchi, a youth sector co-ordinator for the Italian Football Federation, insists calcio needs to be doing even more.
“Immobility is a characteristic of our football system, it has been for 40 years,” the former Milan and Italy boss told Radio 24.
“There is nothing new being born in our game. The fact that Balotelli, El Shaarawy and Verratti are starting tonight against France are abnormal exceptions.
“Unfortunately, the base of the game is very fragmented. When it comes to youth sectors, Italian clubs spend 70 per cent less on them than Spanish clubs do…”